When Women Have Clarity and Focus…Look Out!
August 26, 2011
I just got back last weekend from my 7th Keynote Coach Retreat in Calgary and what a powerful group of women.
It was an intimate group and every woman was able to get clear on their business offerings, what they wanted to speak about and they left with their very own keynote blueprint that they can use to create as many speeches they want to promote their businesses.
A Realtor found her unique niche and left with amazing ideas to leverage her brand and her business. A corporate leader found an exciting website idea and keynote ideas to market to her corporate contacts. An owner of an advanced education company found new markets to attract parents and students. A wellness and life coach found her unique keynote that can promote her three offerings to her audiences.
When women find their clarity and focus there are not limits to what they can create.
I am honored to have spent 2 days with these women and happy that they are on the journey to greater wealth and contribution through their businesses.
We are launching a new program in February 2012 and will be sharing more in future blog and newsletter posts. Until then here’s a question:
What could you do if you had greater clarity?
What could you create if you had greater focus?
All the best,
Cheryl
What’s In a Story? 3 Ways to Bring Your Story to Your Speaking
August 9, 2011
I am preparing for my next Keynote Coach Retreat in Calgary on August 19 and 20 and I have been speaking with my attendees by phone for their preparation call prior to the retreat.
I am always impressed by the caliber of women that are attracted to the 2 day Keynote Coach retreat and this time I have to say that the women attending are soulful, successful and serious about growth.
One of my conversations involved the use of stories, I ask participants to prepare a 10 minute presentation for the retreat that they will be presenting to the group. I have found that every one of us has a story or stories that must be told and it is with our stories that our audiences connect and relate.
There are a few ways to successfully bring stories to your speaking and some questions to ask yourself when choosing to share specific stories. Here they are:
1. Relevance- a colleague of mine had a disagreement about this one- she thinks telling a touching story without having a teaching point or reference is acceptable when speaking. My viewpoint is that without context an emotional story can be viewed and felt as manipulative by the audience and we have to ensure there is a relevant point along with the story. It’s okay to tell a story of hardship growing up but how does it relate to your overall message? How can you bridge your story of hardship with what people in your audience may have experienced or are experiencing? The purpose of story is to connect and share and enlighten- check to see if your story does this and then feel free to share it.
2. Repeatability- people will forget your name and your face but they will rarely forget a story you told. Check your stories to see if they are easily repeatable- can someone else tell your story to others in an easy way? Years ago when I started speaking full time I used to tell my story of having to fish for my dinner in Alaska, use a ‘honey pot’ and teach a seminar in a bingo hall with angry participants. To this day I have people who saw me present that story tell me that they have never forgotten the story. The story made it into Richard D. Carlson’s “Don’t Sweat Stories” because it was so funny- the series of events couldn’t have possibly happened- but they did. The relevance of telling the story was about staying present and using untapped coping skills when in high stress situations. Everyone can relate to that!
3. Right story, right time- just because we have stories that work with certain audiences it does not mean they will work with every audience. For my corporate audiences I often share my story of being in several bank robberies in my early banking career. The story often resonates because I relate it back to working under pressure, doing what we are told as Baby Boomers and afraid of being fired. When I am presenting to women entrepreneurs I tell my story of the obstacles growing up and how those helped me to be a successful entrepreneur. I have dozens of stories available and I always choose the right ones for each audience. It’s important to continue to create new and current stories especially if an audience may have seen or heard you before.
Now more than ever we need to be sharing our stories and I am thrilled that I can be of service to women who want to speak to grow their businesses. When we women can bring stories to our business savvy and communicate those stories with connection, passion and energy we can indeed leave a positive footprint on the audiences we speak to.
You Asked For It……
June 10, 2011
We have had many requests for another Keynote Coach retreat in Calgary and so we are
thrilled to announce that we are having a Keynote Coach retreat on August 19th and 20th.
In addition we are having a Keynote Coach alumni meeting for any previous participant of
the Keynote Coach Retreat on August 18th. If you have been in a Keynote Coach retreat
before you are eligible to attend this one day event for only $197.00!!!
You will get to network with other Keynote Coach alumni AND get an opportunity to
revisit your business and speaking goals in the Speaking Hot Seat.
We are limiting this group to 12 to ensure everyone gets their Hot Seat opportunity so if
you want to get your spot call Dale now at 604 468 2077 or email dale@cherylcran.com.
If you know someone who wants to participate in the popular Keynote Coach Retreat
please refer them to us and receive a referral fee- we believe in sharing the love.
Cheryl
Put Me In Coach- I Am Ready to Play
March 28, 2011
I am so thrilled that I have been getting calls and emails about ladies who are ready to step up their presence and want to create more abundance for themselves.
What these ladies are saying are, “Put me in coach, I am ready to play” and they are no longer hiding behind excuses or fears. They sense and they know that the time is NOW to find someone who can fast track them with their speaking goals.
I am getting asked when I am coming back to Calgary to do a Keynote Coach Retreat and we will be providing details soon!
We have Vancouver’s Keynote Coach Retreat coming in November and soon to be announced events in Chicago and LA.
So are you ready to play?
Here are 3 signs that the time is right for you right now to focus on your speaking to grow your business:
1. You feel ‘itchy’ or ready for the next big thing but you haven’t found the right signs yet to let you know who or what direction you should go.
2. You are ready to invest time and money with someone who has ‘been there and done that’ and can help you get to where you want to go quickly.
3. You are done with the excuses and the fears and really ready to take action to move forward.
If these three signs are there for you right now then now is the time to make the changes and to be held accountable to your greatness. You know you are destined for bigger things, you know that you are being called to show the world all of your gifts and to share your gifts with others and you know that time is getting faster and there is no longer the luxury of putting your goals on pause. The time is right now for you to do something that will catapult you forward.
Email Dale if you want to sign up for Calgary or Vancouver’s upcoming events info@yourkeynotecoach.com
